BWW Reviews: Taffety Punk's TEMPEST Another Triumph For the 'Riot Grrrls'

One of the great joys of Shakespeare is that the well of creativity he draws from is infinite in its depth. There is no reason to stop producing his plays, because the creative possibilities are endless. No sooner have you seen one grand-stage production than another one pops up, in a completely different place, and you fall in love with the plays all over again-this time for completely different reasons.

Taffety Punk's current production of The Tempest is a case-in-point. You'd think that the Shakespeare Theatre's big-budget, high-tech extravaganza at the Harman Theatre would leave the competition in the dust; but you'd be dead wrong. Riot Grrrls, a faction of Taffety Punk Theatre Company dedicated to all-female productions of the Bard's works, has come up with a low-tech, intimate staging that is as finely tuned and accessible as anything you'd pay big bucks for uptown.

With the calm authority of Isabelle Anderson's Prospero, and a talented cast that nimbly leaps from one role to the next (many play doubles here), the black-box space of the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop is awash with finely-spoken verse and a story of shipwreck, magic and romance that is forever new. Lise Bruneau has also provided Shakespeare devotees with some truly though-provoking casting decisions, with actresses taking on roles that illuminate each other in fascinating ways. And it should come as no surprise that the women here fully occupy their roles; Aaryn Kopp, as King Alonso of Naples and Esther Williamson lays down the law as Antonio, Prospero's brother (and the usurper of Prospero's office as Duke of Milan); they are not to be messed with, regardless of gender.

What is especially satisfying here is to see how the performers alter their voices and physicality as they switch back and forth; there is some program-flipping required as they change costume and shape before your very eyes. Tonya Beckman is as vivacious and charming when Ariel, as she is lumpy and resentful when Caliban; both characters are, of course, slaves to Prospero's will, but only one bears the burden lightly. Toni Rae Salmi, meanwhile, gives the pensive courtier Gonzalo his due, but is perfectly at home being worshipped as a god when in Stephano's duds. (Courtiers, of course, always dream of what they might do if they were in charge!). Teresa Spencer's turn as the young prince Ferdinand, the earnest and dutiful boy in love, contrasts nicely with the thinly-veiled ambition of Sebastian, Alonso's brother.

Perhaps the most illuminating pair of roles falls to Amanda Forstrom, who as the young Miranda has all the gushy girliness you could possibly ask for. (It is especially amusing to realize that this is the only actual female role in the whole show, and she goes out of her way to remind you of that fact.) Forstrom's transformation into Trinculo, however, is the real treat; this hard-luck clown is as stone-faced and luckless as Miranda is passion and good fortune.

Set Designer Jessica Moretti, with the assistance of scenic artist Daniel Flint, has made a virtue of the space's Spartan aesthetic, with a burlap-clad jungle-gym as his centerpiece and a pair of flats to suggest the sunlit isle where Prospero and daughter Miranda have lived as exiles for 12 years. Sound Designer Sara Jane Schmelter provides the occasional bird-call and other atmospheric effects, and Brittany Diliberto skillfully helps the audience shift its attention through many small corners of the space as the action shifts hither and you. Costumer Tessa Lew has found a good, motley assortment of business suits, sashes and laid-back linen to deck out the cast, and she gives the supporting cast of spirits, who roam throughout the space, an appropriately exotic touch with harem pants and colorful, greenish-blue accents.

Taffety Punk has also found a fine composer in Amy Domingues, whose cello-inflected melodies and background music provide subtle shifts in mood. If anything, this production could use more of her work, particularly in the pageant Prospero arranges for Miranda and Ferdinand. It's almost tempting to ask that she score all the verse here, because she works so well with what few lines she already has.

Production Photo: Isabelle Anderson as Prospero. Photo by Teresa Castracane.

The Tempest plays Feburary 6-28 at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 7th St SE, Washington, D.C. All tickets are $15 each; call 1-800-838-3006 or visit: http://tix.taffetypunk.com/.

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